The others were to teams they should have beaten: East Carolina in 2008 and Boise State in 2010.

The ECU and Boise defeats can be traced directly to blocked punts, a common thread worth mentioning as Virginia Tech prepares to debut a rookie punter in Monday’s challenging opener against Georgia Tech.

“Over the preseason, their times are just about equal,” he said. “Their operation time, their hang time, their distance. Both of them have certainly had their moments. … They are two good punters, I’ll tell you that.”

Both are preferred walk-ons. Hughes hails from North High in Terre Haute, Ind., where he was also a pole-vaulter. Windmuller attended the Flint Hill School in Northern Virginia. His uncle, the late Denny Windmuller, played at Virginia Tech in 1977 and ’78.

Still, for a program that has lost its last three openers against Bowl Subdivision opponents — the Hokies smoked Championship Subdivision power Appalachian State last season — starting a freshman punter is unsettling, especially since blocked punts created touchdowns in two of those setbacks.

Virginia Tech lost its 2008 opener in Charlotte when ECU’s T.J. Lee smothered a Brent Bowden punt and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown with 1:52 remaining. Final score: 27-22.

In 2010 at the Washington Redskins’ stadium, Boise State’s Austin Pettis blocked the first punt of Brian Saunders’ college career. The Broncos took over at the Hokies’ 12, and two plays later Kellen Moore threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Pettis for a 10-0 lead. Boise State won, 33-30.

Virginia Tech had myriad punting issues last season with Michael Branthover, Scott Demler and Danny Coale. The Hokies ranked last in the ACC and 108th nationally in net punting.

Since Georgia Tech is not only an ACC but also a Coastal Division rival, Monday’s contest is arguably as (more?) important than the openers against more acclaimed opponents such as USC, Alabama and Boise State.

This marks the fourth time in the Beamer Era that the Hokies have started against a league team. They lost to Boston College in 1995 and defeated Rutgers in ’97 and North Carolina State in 2005.

Beating Georgia Tech could well hinge on avoiding special-teams gaffes.

I can be reached at 247-4636 or by e-mail at dteel@dailypress.com. Follow me at twitter.com/DavidTeelatDP

In his first budget address to lawmakers, Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf laid out an ambitious $33.8 billion spending plan that raises taxes a combined 16 percent while slashing corporate and property taxes, restores cuts to education and wipes out the state's deficit.